Estella
by Daisy3
Summary: PG, just to be safe. I stuck Estella Bolger into the story for a bit of fun. She's Merry and Pippin's bestest friend! Please tell me what you think, it's my first fic...sort of... *sweatdrops*


**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of this. None. As in, zero. I don't even own Estella, and I know nothing about her, other than that she eventually marries dearest Meriadoc, or so it says in the index of the book. Yep. I wanted to write something with Merry in it, I just made this up, following the movie's storyline, okay? Okay. You may commence reading the ultimate bad-ness of this story now.

            "This party is going to be terrific!" I said, skipping a bit ahead of Pippin and Merry, twirling around to face them.

            "Food, dancing, fireworks…it will certainly be fun." Merry nodded, winking as he mentioned fireworks. I skipped on the path again, towards my hobbit hole, and purposely kicked dust into my best friend's faces. It was the morning of the big Baggins party, and I was almost as excited as Frodo himself.

            "Estella Bolger!" Pippin scolded as he got a face full of sand. Merry laughed, and was cut short when a spray of dirt hit him in the mouth. I giggled, and shot Merry a teasing glance. He glared jokingly at me, wiping sand from his tongue in disgust. I laughed again; the sight was truly amusing.

            "What was that for?" Merry drawled out. I swiveled on my heel, my curls brushing my shoulders. I was not like the other hobbit girls; I wore my hair shorter, and was quite satisfied with my breeches and cotton shirts with vests. 

            Opening my mouth to say something smug, I stopped dead when I felt the sensation of sand trickling down the sides of my head. I spun, with a shocked expression on my face. My friends exploded into laughter. Pippin dropped a handful of sand onto the ground. I frowned and stomped my foot.

            "Peregrin Took. How _could_ you?" I cried angrily, trying not to laugh at the apologetic expression appearing on the pair of faces. "Now I have to bathe before the party!" With that, I spun back around and ran to my hole in a fit of believable, but fake, tears. 

            "Good one, Essie." I said to myself as I entered the empty hole. I rather didn't enjoy living alone, but I had no other choice. I flounced into the bathroom, shucking off clothes, smiling to myself as I recalled the look on my Merry's face. 

            After a good soak, and after all the sand was out of my hair, I walked to my room. A dress was laid out on the bed, and as I tied the bow on the waist, I realized it was the first dress I had worn in a very long time. As I did my hair in the mirror, I admired the pretty dress. It was dark green, and had a very tight bodice, with a decorative white bow on the semi-low neck. It layered out into separate skirts, and flared at the elbows to create bell sleeves, with white lace. Pinning up my reddish curls, I noticed something in the mirror. With a gasp I spun around, but let out a relieved sigh.

            "Merry! Don't come in without knocking!" I said, my voice slightly rising. He raised an eyebrow, and smoothed his orange and red plaid vest. I rolled my eyes and continued with my hair. As I tied a white bow, Merry came up behind me.

            "A dress? Essie, in a dress?" He said, not really seeming to believe the sight before him. "And a bow? A bow in her hair? I do hope this pretty little thing will dance with a certain Brandybuck at the party!" I dusted my freckles lightly with some powder, and fastened a very nice sliver chain around my neck. I wore it everywhere; because on that chain was a little heart-shaped locket that Merry had given me for my last birthday.

            "If you don't stop your outrageous flirting, the party will start without us." I said dully, making for the door. He took my arm and pulled me back, and I felt his breathing on my bare neck. As I turned and looked at him, and a lopsided grin appeared on his face. I stared at him for a few seconds, tracing my fingers down his cheek, before I spoke. "Come on." I repeated, pulling him out the door.

            Pippin was waiting at the front gate, looking cute in a dark green vest with gold trim. Both were wearing white cotton shirts under their vests, and I felt extremely odd standing there in a nice dress. Ordinarily, I would be dressed much like them.

            "Well, well, what have we got here?" Pippin exclaimed, taking a step back and looking me up and down. "A precious little morsel like this, hiding under baggy shirts and breeches?" He teased, linking his arm with mine. I tried to hide my grin; it was the first time Pippin had ever seen me look the slightest bit feminine.

            Merry linked his in my free arm, and looked at his cousin over the top of my head. "Well, Pip, you can go find your own precious morsel, I saw this one first!"

            "Excuse me?" I exclaimed, looking first at Merry, then Pippin. "Morsel? I think your stomachs have taken control of your mouths again, lads!" I smiled and as we walked towards the party, I felt Pippin slip his arm out of mine. At least he knew when to back off.

            The sun was barely beginning to fade when we reached the party, and dinner was about to be served. We had reserved seats in the 'Special Persons' area, and I happily ate my way through a huge meal, until the sun was gone.

            "Ess, look!" Merry tugged my elbow and pointed to the sky, where the first firework was exploding into a shower of sparks. I smiled mischievously.

            "It's supposed to last at least two hours." I whispered, standing up and looking down at him.

            "Meet me later." Merry said to Pippin, who was leaving to dance. He nodded, and then got swept into the party. I took Merry's arm and pulled him away from all the hobbits, towards a large tree, just outside the string of lanterns.

            I stomped through the long grass by a massive oak tree, and sank down into its thick roots. Merry sat next to me, and absent-mindedly played with some grass. I watched him fondly.

            "The fireworks are-" I started, but was cut off when he leaned over and kissed me.

            The suddenness of it caught me off guard, and I fell back slightly, but had to restrain from laughing. I knew he wanted to do that for so long, but he didn't have the guts. I closed my eyes and relished in the moment, for I knew it wouldn't last forever.

            And I was right.

            "Ah! What's this, then?" A frantic, high-pitched voice said. Merry's eyes snapped open, and we both looked up into the shocked face of Pippin. 

            "Uh…" I thought for a moment, then lashed out and slapped Merry. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, you filthy thing!" I cried. He blinked and rubbed his cheek.

            "What? What?" He stuttered, looking almost as shocked as Pippin. I gritted my teeth and gave him a look. "Oh…_oh!_" He nodded, realizaton crossing his face. "I'm sorry." he mumbled, and scampered away with Pip. I heard his high voice babbling to Merry about what just happened.

            "She's our best friend! Why didn't you tell me? I knew you liked her, but… You're crazy! Insane…_bonkers,_ that's what you are! A loony Brandybuck! How could you?" The voice faded into the party.

            "Estella, you are good." I said under my breath, sitting back and watching a firework explode. Eventually I returned to the crowd of hobbits dancing and drinking, and spied my friends by the wagon of Gandalf's fireworks. I stood behind a tent, and watched as the two troublemakers ran inside with a huge, dragon shaped firework.

            "Now, what are they up to?" I murmured, and held my ear close to the door, wondering why I wasn't included in this obvious prank.

            "You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" Came Merry's hushed voice.

            "It is in the ground!" Pippin said.

            "Outside!"

            "It was your idea!"

            The conversation was cut short by a small explosion, and a squeal from Pippin. I was thrown back as someone crashed into me, and I watched the tent fly up into the air as the firework blasted away.

            "Oh, hello Essie!" Pippin said, his sooty face smiling down at me. He was the one who knocked me over. I opened my mouth and pointed to the huge firework dragon that was swooping over the party. Everyone ducked and covered their heads, and watched as the dragon flew out over the lake and exploded into loops of fire and sparkles.

            "You crazy hobbits!" I cried, standing and brushing myself off. Pippin and Merry were staring out at the lake, their backs to me. I felt very excluded, why didn't they ask me to help with the firework prank?

            With an exasperated grunt, I turned and found myself face to face with Gandalf's robes. I slowly looked up at the wizard, smiling nervously. He looked down, an amused smile on his face. I wiped a smudge of soot off my cheek and looked over my shoulder at the culprits.

            "That was good." I heard Merry say.

            "Let's get another one." Pippin added, just as Gandalf pinched their ears in his hands. They whimpered as they looked up at him, their flyaway hair ruffled.

            "Meriadoc Brandybuck…and Perigrin Took." He said lightly, and I watched in giggles as he put both of them to work washing the hundreds of dishes from the party.

            "Not so smug now, are we, Meriadoc?" I asked jokingly as he dropped a stack of dishes onto a table. "You're covered in soot, you poor thing." I teased, and he stayed quiet, afraid of the supervising Gandalf. Actually, the tall wizard seemed to be enjoying my torment of the little dishwashers.

            I was interrupted as Bilbo stood up for his speech. I was rather bored, at least until he said, "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve!" I snickered at that part, and found great delight in the looks on everyone's faces. Tuning the rest out, I heard him say, "Good-bye."

            Then he disappeared. My jaw dropped, and I looked around frantically, as everyone began to speak at once.

            "I would say the party is pretty much over." Merry said, trying to smooth down his frizzy hair. I nodded, and pulled back from the crowd.

            "I'm going home." I said, walking to the road, Pippin and Merry close behind.

            We had barely walked three feet, when Pippin spoke up.

            "So…what was that I saw? By the tree?" I blushed, and brought my heel down on his toes. He yelped, and hopped a bit. "What was that for?" He cried. I shrugged.

            "Nothing." Merry answered him. "Nothing, never mind."

            "Aw, come on, I think you're in loo-oo-v-vve…" Pippin dragged the last word out as long as he could. Just then I reached my front gate.

            "Good night." I said abruptly, walking through the gate. I heard a strained 'Goodnight' from Merry, and a muffled voice. Glancing back, I saw Merry with his hands clamped over Pippin's mouth, and Pippin pulling Merry's hair.

            The days passed quickly, everything went normally. Merry didn't speak of the night of the party; and Pippin never mentioned it either. Everything was going as usual, until one day when we went to collect some crops from Farmer Maggot's field.

            "Oh great, here he comes!" I said, with an armful of carrots.

            "Run!" Merry hissed as we grabbed as many vegetables as possible, and headed into the cornfield. We ducked through the stalks, until we reached a break. And smack: Merry and Pippin ran right into Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins.

            "Frodo?" Pippin asked. "Merry! Essie! It's Frodo Baggins!" He said.

            "Hello, Frodo!" Merry said, climbing off of Sam. Sam jumped up and pulled Pippin off Frodo.

            "Get off of him!" He said, pushing Pippin into me, and pulling Frodo to his feet. Merry began to gather the cabbages and carrots up off the ground.

            "Hold these." He thrust the vegetables into Sam's arms. Sam looked bewildered, as did Frodo.

            Suddenly, a harsh voice echoed over the corn, and we saw a scythe being waved not to far away.

            "You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!" Sam said over the sound of dogs barking. Merry grabbed Frodo and I, pushing us into the stalks again, and we started running.

            "Don't know why he's so upset!" Merry said as we all ran.

            "It was only a couple of carrots!" I put in.

            "And some cabbages…and those nice big bags of potatoes we left here last week! Oh, and then the mushrooms, the week before!" Pippin said, as the sound of dogs barking followed us.

            "Yes, Pippin, but my point is, he's clearly overreacting!" Merry exclaimed.

            Of course, at that precise moment, Pippin reached the edge of a cliff. One by one, we smacked into him, careening over the edge. Rolling head over heels, I managed to stop by smacking into a tree. I watched as the rest rolled off onto the road, landing in a heap.

            "Are you okay?" I called, dashing down as moans escaped the pile of hobbits.

            "Oh…that was close." Pippin said, looking at a large pile of horse manure not to far from his face. I leaped off the little rise they rolled over, and landed next to Merry.

            "I think I've broken something." He groaned, and pulled a cracked carrot out from under him and whimpered. I scratched the back of my neck and helped him sit up.

            "Never trust a Brandybuck and a Took." That Sam fellow said grumpily, sitting up next to Merry.

            "And a Bolger!" I added defiantly, brushing off my vest.

            "That was just a detour, a shortcut!" Merry said as everyone got sorted out.

            "A shortcut to what?" Sam asked.

            "Mushrooms!" Pippin said. I looked at a patch of mushrooms and grinned. Sam jumped up, and ran over Pippin, who was trying to get up. Merry pushed Pippin back down, and I pushed him down again as I bolted over.

            Merry held open a sack as we stuffed the mushrooms in.

            "Here's a nice one!" I said, holding up a big one, and noticed Frodo standing not too far away.

            "I think we should get off the road." He said quietly, looking down at us. I shrugged and picked another mushroom.

            A few seconds later, he sounded desperate. "Get off the road, quick!" I furrowed my brow and scrambled up over a rise on the side of the road, and sat in a hollow by a tree, squished in with Merry.

            "What are you going to do with the mushrooms?" I asked quietly, inspecting the full bag of them. He shrugged.

            The sound of a horse nearing shut us all up. A feeling of fear was growing the pit of my stomach. The horse stopped just behind us, and I drew back into the hollow, right next to Merry. Who ever was riding dismounted, and a saw it's shadow lean over us. A sniffing sound filled the air, and sniffed again. To my horror, I looked over and saw an enormous spider crawling down Merry's other shoulder. Spiders were the only thing I was ever afraid if, and having one so close nearly made me scream. The sniffing grew louder, and looking down, I saw worms wiggling under my feet. Another sniff, and Merry took the precious bag of mushrooms and flung it as far as he could in the other direction. Whatever was sniffing us took off after the sound.

            I made a little whimpering noise as we ran into the underbrush, and down a hill. Stopping at the bottom, I collapsed against Merry.

            "What was that?" He demanded of Frodo, while I fought panic.

            Frodo didn't say anything, but merely looked at something in the palm of his hand.

            For the rest of the day, we evaded that awful horse and rider, who were both pitch black. Night came and we were still running about in the forest, through the fog. 

            Pippin finally stumbled up to Frodo, out of breath.

            "What is going on?" He questioned. Merry walked up beside Frodo.

            "That black rider was looking for something…or someone." He said, looking at the dark-haired hobbit. "Frodo?" He looked up at Merry.

            "Get down!" I said, looking over and seeing a shadow. We ducked behind a bush, just as the black rider passed by, not too far away.

            "I have to leave the Shire. Sam and I must get to Bree." Frodo said in a hushed voice. I looked over at them.

            "The Buckleberry Ferry!" I said, poking Merry.

            "She's right. Follow me." Merry said. Sam looked at me wondrously.

            "She? Essie is a girl?" He asked out loud, a tone of surprise in his voice. I rolled my eyes at him and we began to run towards the ferry, staying low to the ground.

            The giant black horse exploded from behind a tree, and the rider screeched as we tried to get around. I shouted, and was thrown to one side, then ran after the blonde blur I saw of Merry.

            "Come on, this way!" He called, as we dodged the flailing horse. I was last in the group to get away, and by then, they were already nearing the wharf. I tailed Pippin, who jumped the fence, but I stumbled and skidded into a bush by the fence. Watching in horror as they untied the ferry, and Frodo leapt on, I realized that they couldn't wait for me. Several black riders galloped by as the ferry floated farther out on the water, into the fog.

            "Essie!" I heard Merry shout. "Where's Essie?"

            I ran to the dock and screamed over the water. "Merry! Merry! You left me!" I yelled to the disappearing ferry. I saw Merry's face stare at me in terror. "You left me!" I wailed, and sunk to my knees.

            "I'm sorry!" I could barely hear his voice now. "Bree…" And with that, his voice faded away completely.

            Determined now, I stood up and walked to the road.

            "I'll meet him in Bree." I told myself. "He'll be in Bree, I know it." Ignoring the growls in my stomach, I walked briskly towards the crossing…twenty-five miles away.

            By walking all night, I managed to reach the gates of Bree when it was nearly dawn. I had already had several hundred conversations and arguments with myself, and doubted my sanity. I stepped gingerly over the broken gates, my heart sinking as I slipped through the streets. As I neared the inn, I saw four small hobbits and a human leaving its doors. So, tired, hungry, and muddy, I raced towards them.

            "Merry!" I called, my voice hoarse. He turned with the rest of the group, and was obviously surprised as I limped and stumbled up to him. "Walked all night…" I croaked as he hugged me. I felt my cheeks grow wet as everyone else embraced me. "Give it up." I finally demanded, swatting them away after I decided that they didn't have to be hugging me.

            "Who is this young gentleman?" The human asked. He seemed very rough and wild as I stared up at him.

            "This is Estella, and we accidentally left her behind on our way here to Bree." Pippin said, accenting the 'her'. 

            The human nodded, but his expression was grave. "She cannot come with us." He said. This was met with fierce protest.

            "Why not?" Merry yelled, and I nodded.

            "Why can't I come?"

            "What's wrong with her?" Frodo asked, staring at the human with his giant blue eyes.

            The human bowed his head, then looked back at us. "Look at her. She's obviously tired, she's dirty, and she is in no fit shape to travel." He stated. "She must remain here, then return to her home"

            I began to shake in anger. "This isn't fair." I said, and my voice cracked through tears. "Not fair!" Merry took my wrist.

            "Let me say goodbye, then." He said, pulling me aside, into a shadow between the inn and another building. 

            "Be quick." The human said hesitantly, and he and the three other hobbits checked their packs and harnessed the small pony they were leading.

            Merry looked at me and smiled.

            "I won't be gone long." He said. I wiped my eyes in my dirty sleeve and tried to smile, too.

            "Where are you going?"

            "I'm not sure, but I know it'll be far, and dangerous. I'll be back as soon as I can."

            "Promise?" I said, hugging him again.

            "Promise."

            "I'm supposed to give you something so you won't forget me."

            Merry laughed. "Says who?"

            "Says all the stories I've ever read." I looked down at myself, trying to find something to give other than my clothes. I had nothing in my hair, or…my hand strayed to my neck, where my silver locket hung from its chain. I undid the clasp.

            "Ess, you can't give me this." He said as I fastened it around his neck. I gritted my teeth.

            "Yes, I can. Give it back to me when you get back." I said sternly, tucking the little heart locket under Merry's shirt. "You don't even have to talk about it to anyone," I added, "They may decide to question your masculinity." I smiled as Merry laughed. I love it when I make him laugh. "Just be careful and don't get hurt, and hurry back before I go insane talking to myself."

            He placed his hand on my cheek, his eyes sparkling in the rising sun. I leaned up and pressed my lips on his, and we kissed for what seemed like an eternity. 

            "Merry, come on, we have to…" Pippin sighed as he saw us. "Not again…" He shuffled off, mumbling.

            I kissed Merry's cheek, and we joined the rest of the group. I watched them round a bend and leave the village, and turning, I entered the inn, already awaiting his return.


End file.
